Mouthpiece cigarette manufacture



NOV. 12, 1940. DAVIDSON 2,221,443

MOUTHPIECE CIGARETTE MANUFACTURE Filed April 28, 1936 INVENTOR. G/Q/rff Far (680% I I v .1 BY

'9" 9M W a a ATTOR EY Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to mouthpiece cigarettes orcigarettes having a plug or insert of cellulosic material or paper; and it is among the objects of the invention to provide a construction facili-' To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the i features hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in. the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

, In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view illustrative of p the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on a plane substantially indicated by line II, Fig. 1; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are sections similarly, taken respectively on planes substantially indicated by lines III, IV, and V, Fig. 1; Figs. 6 and? are,

n sectional views correspondingto Fig. 2, showing modified arrangements of material; Fig. 8 is an enlargedsection taken ona plane substantially indicated by line VIII, Fig. 1; Figs. 9 and 10 are corresponding views showing the same stage with the feed material employed as in Figs. 6

and 7 respectively; Fig. 11 is a fragmentary side elevationlike Fig. 1, enlarged and partly in section, showing one detail of securing the material into a rod; Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional 1 view taken on a plane substantially indicated by lineXII, Fig. 11; and Figs; 13 and 14 are similar views with different feeds respectively.

In general, there is shown a supply of cellulosic material, brought into suitable rod form in a forming zone, and then forwarded through a 40' zone in which adhesive is applied to hold the rod form against disorganization, and, after sufiicient drying, the continuous rod is passed through a cutting zone where it is cut up into the mouthpiece inserts or plugs.

The cellulosic material feed, whose detail may be as described more particularly hereinafter, is supplied in convenient continuous form 2, Fig.

11, into the shaping funnel former F1, being there drawn together or formed into a continuous rod 50 which provides air-draft channels or passageways through its body and permits suitable functioning in draft conditions in the finished cigarette in which it is incorporated. The rod thus proceeding from the former is subjected to a superficial or surface application of adhesive, as for into the draft-passages.

instance by being passed axially through a tubular guide 3 which has an adhesive reservoir 4 in relation, openings 5 in. the tubular guide allowing access of the adhesive to the surface of the cellulosic rod sufilciently to superficially anchor the same, without impregnating to substantially any depth, this being readily controlled by the consistency and properties of the adhesive; The rod is forwarded by suitable propelling means, for instance feed-wheels 6, and emerges from 10 the adhesive-applicating zone to a drying or setting zone, the openings 50. in the guide permitting access of air or heat to the extent desired. By providing heaters I, such as electric heaters, and directing air countercurrently to the movement of the rod, particularly effective setting may be had. The rod leaving the guide is in con dition to feed through the cutting guide I0, .Fig. 1, and be severed by the cutter l I suitably driven in relation with the feed end, and be severed into the mouthpiece plugs m, the cutter being for instance of. the character familiar in cigarette machines. With the feed stock as a plurality of cord-like strands as in Fig. 14, the rod eventuates with the superficial binding adhesive 12 forming an anchor means exteriorly, and without appreciable penetration. Similarly, where the feed stock is fedinto the former in chordal folds as in Fig. 13, again the adhesive I211, provides an external anchorage against losing its form, and without penetration or interference with the longitudinal draft passages. In similar manner also where the material is laid in spiral form as in Fig. 12, the adhesive binder I2b is effectively at the periphery, holding the rod-form against loosening, and yet without penetration The spiral lay is facilitated by a forming cone having its entry-end as shown more in detail in Fig. 3, and having its sheet metal wall. l5 shaped with an inner 40 spiraling turn l6, whereby the cellulosic material is compelled to follow the channel which converges more closely as in Fig. 4, and then in Fig.

5, to the desired rod form. With the cellulosic feed stock in three superposed webs or strips for instance as in Fig. 2, the webs a, b, 0, being fed with their edges in alignment, the spiral takes the form as shown in Fig. 12, that is, the free or exposed edges of all layers are even. By feeding the sheet stock in lapping relation, as illustrated in a, b, c, Fig. 6, and a", b", c", Fig. '7, the free or exposed edges instead of being aligned altogether as in Fig. 12, are correspondingly spaced about the periphery of the rod. With a construction formed as described, and having adhesive applied to its external surface, anchoring the components against displacement,

no further wrapper is necessary in many cases.

In fact, a cut plug so formed having the dried adhesive on the exterior offers novel advantages in properties and ability to assemble in novel ways. In cases where a further external wrapper is desired however, this may be applied by the same machine as shown in Fig. 1, by supplying a Wrapper web 29 from a roll 2|, such that it is drawn along under the formed rod by'the beltZZ and into the auxiliary former where a small adhesive applicator 23, as known in cigarette machines, applies sufiicient adhesive to the edge of the wrapper just before the outer edge (Fig. 8) is laid in place, further smoothing down being accomplished by elements generally indicated at 26, Fig. 1, so that the finished rod has the body 28 of the spiral-laid layers, and the outer Wrapper 29 as seen in Fig. 8. If the feed layers are supplied to the former F in the step-wise position as shown in Figs. 6 and '7, the products correspondingly are as shown in Figs. 9 and. 10 respectively.

Whether the cellulosic material be of crinkled or creped paper or other pulped stock or cotton and in sheet or plural cord form, the character of the draft passages can be controlled accurately and provide a draft-resistance when ultimately in use substantially equal to that of a corresponding portion .of replaced tobacco. Such a cigarette is, in action, undistinguishable from the old all-tobacco cigarettes while having all the advantages of the insert construction.

This application is a continuation in part, and with respect to common subject-matter, of application Ser. No. 645,548, filed December 3, 1932, which was a continuation in part, and with re-.- spect to common subject-matter, of its co-p ending application Ser. No. 595,509, filed February 27, 1932, that being a continuation in part, and with respect to common subject-matter, of application Ser. No. 427,511, filed February 11, 1930.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any .of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly web-like sheet cellulose into a continuous rod, and then adhering the exposed edges of thesheet cellulose, and severing into uniform pieces.

3. A method of manufacturing cigarette mouthpieces, which comprises forming layers of web-like sheet cellulose with their edges stepwise, then spiralling such layers into a continuous rod and then adhering the closing edges thereof.

4. A method of manufacturing cigarette mouthpieces, which comprises forming layers of sheet cellulose, then spiralling such web-like sheet cellulose into a continuous rod, applying a covering envelope, and severing into uniform pieces.

5. A cigarette mouthpiece apparatus comprising a former for shaping cellulosic stock into a continuous rod'of-uniform cross section, means for applying adhesive to the exterior of such rod, means for setting the adhesive, and a cutter for cutting the rod into uniform lengths.

6. A cigarettemouthpiece apparatus comprising a former for shaping cellulosicv stock into a continuous rod, means for supplying a plurality of layersof stock into such former, means for feeding afcontinuous wrapper to the rod after it comes from the former, means for closing the wrapper, and a cutter for severing the rod into sections.

7. A method of manufacturing cigarette mouthpieces which comprises combining cellulosic stock into a continuous rod with spaces between portions of said cellulosic stock at the center of said rod and also at the periphery of said rod, then applying adhesive along the outer surface of said rod whereby such peripheral spaces are filled with adhesive and severing into uniform pieces.

8. A method of manufacturing cigarette mouthpieces -which comprises combining cellulosic stock into a rod. of circular cross section with a multiplicity of spaces around the periphery of said rod, then applying adhesive along the outer surface of said rod whereby such peripheral spaces are filled with adhesive and severing into uniform pieces.

9. A cigarette mouthpiece apparatus comprising a former for shaping cellulosic stock into a continuous rcdwith spaces between portions of said cellulosic stock at the center of said rod and also at the periphery of said rod and means, for filling such peripheral spaces with adhesive,

10. A cigarette mouthpiece apparatus comprising a former for shaping cellulosic stock into a continuous rod with spaces between' portions of said cellulosic stock at the center of said rod and I also at the periphery of said rod, said former having a wall inturned as a spiral and convergently directed, said'apparatus including means for feeding superposed layers of said stock to said former.

11. A cigarette mouthpiece apparatus compris ing a former for shaping cellulosic stock into acontinuous rod with spaces between portions of said cellulosic stock at the center of said rod and also at the periphery of said rod, said former having a wall inturned as a spiral and convergently directed, and means for joining such pe ripheral spaced portions with adhesive, said apparatus including means for feeding superposed layers of said stock to said former.

GLENN DAVIDSON. 

